The Importance of Nonverbal Communication Skills

So much of business today revolves around communication – how we communicate with clients, with colleagues, and with vendors. The explosion of technology over the last 20 years puts us in a state of constant communication; we are rarely without our devices, connecting with people in one way or another. And yet, with all of this communication, it often seems as if we are just not very good at it.

We have a tendency to hide behind our devices, and that has diminished our effectiveness at communicating face-to-face. Yet in-person communication is still a vital part of business today. When we speak in person, we get a better read on our colleague’s thinking; we pick up on nuances that email cannot convey.

This is not meant to diminish the importance of technology; it is a critical aspect of getting work done today, and we are clearly not going backwards. However, we could all benefit from brushing up our non-verbal communication techniques.

Research shows that the unspoken is critical. In the early 1970s, UCLA professor Dr. Alfred Mehrabian’s research on nonverbal communication revealed that the words we speak to our audience are actually a very tiny proportion of the overall message. Specifically, he found that:

Seven percent of the audience’s feelings and attitudes towards the message are in the words that are spoken by the communicator.

38 percent of the audience’s feelings and attitudes towards the message are paralinguistic (the way that the words are said).

55 percent of the audience’s feelings and attitudes towards the message are in the communicator’s facial expression.

In other words, effective nonverbal communication is critical. It has a dramatic impact on how our messages are received.

Many of the best practices for nonverbal communication are the same things your mother taught you when you were young – stand up straight, look people in the eye, smile and give them a firm handshake.

Good body language helps you create a connection with your audience, whether it is in a new business meeting, with an existing client, or on the floor of a busy trade show. Good body language demonstrates an interest in the person with whom you are interacting. That is the basis of good communication.

And it is good business.

Contact us at 215.441.4600 if you have questions or would like to discuss how this topic may impact your business.

Email Newsletter Sign Up

Sign up for our monthly email newsletter to stay up to date on accounting, tax and business news.